We would like to take this opportunity to extend our solidarity to the family
of Agi Joof. We would like to thank Malanding and Habib for reminding us of
this very sad and important date. It also reminds us of the brutal fact that
Gambian women will not be free as far as they continue to be victims of male
violence.
We salute her and other women throughout the world.

Karamba, Saiks, Omar Drammeh, Basil, Sidibeh, Ebrima Ceesay, and all those
who responded to our posting, we say a big thank you.  We especially salute
the guys because we feel they are setting good examples in acknowledging
their sisters' woes by supporting their growth and development.

Ebrima just reminded us about the infamous FGM.  Until 10 years ago, no one
dared launch anti-FGM campaigns in the Gambia.  Nowadays, women are saying
"no" to being butchered, and "yes" to gaining control of their bodies -- and
their husbands love them just the same (compared to the darks days when women
were ridiculed by their peers for speaking against such practices). Gone are
the days when as Gambian women, we could not open our mouths and express our
feelings...... FGM is among many of our problems that needs to be address but
as we always say the struggle has to continue until victory is achieved.
There cannot
be any development without the full participation of women.

Jabou, we empathize with the women whose husbands treat them like second
class citizens. However, we feel that western education is not the only way
of the Gambian woman gaining her independence.  There are women entrepreneurs
back home who work in tailoring, fabric merchandising, etc., and we do not
think they would be treated like that.  Let's help our sisters back home with
the resources for self-enhancement, thus raising their self-esteems levels
high enough to take a detour from maltreatment like you described.

One thing we have to realize as human beings, is that men and women are
the two necessary constituents of humanness; the correlatives of human kind;
and that humanity is made up entirely neither of men nor of women. It follows
that all the rights that accrue to men should logically accrue to women.
Reality is radically different, though: The severance of men and women has
distorted the compact unity of humanness and deprived one half of humanity,
i.e., women, of their right to full development and the opportunity to
contribute more meaningfully to society.



Mr. Sidibeh, we anxiously await your commentary as promised.  Upon receipt,
we will respond.

Regards,

Awa Sey & Ndey Jobarteh

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